Sunday, March 31, 2013

When
my old classmate, Wah Yeong, sent me an email entitled AWESOME TWIN GIRLS, I
expected a biological exploration of the beauty of the human anatomy.

Confronted
with this photo of two premature babies, I thought it is just another tear-jerking hoax.

Twin girls, Brielle and Kyrie, were born
12 weeks ahead of their due date. Needing intensive care, they were placed in
separate incubators.

Kyrie began to gain weight and her
health stabilized. But Brielle, born only 2 lbs, had trouble breathing, heart
problems and other complications. She was not expected to live.

Their nurse did everything she could to
make Brielle's health better, but nothing she did was helping her. With nothing
else to do, their nurse went against hospital policy and decided to place both
babies in the same incubator.

She left the twin girls to sleep and
when she returned she found a sight she could not believe. She called all the
nurses and doctors and this is what they saw.

As Brielle got closer to her sister,
Kyrie put her small little arm around her, as if to hug and support her sister.
From that moment on, Brielle's breathing and heart rate stabilized and her
health became normal.

'Tears for Joy',
it’s a true story!

Here’s a video of the twins in 2012, uploaded to
youtube by freebird1024

Saturday, March 30, 2013

The
PM has yet to call for elections but already we are being given the blues!

So,
Richard Chan triesa little humour “to
keep my sanity and to ease my huge disappointment for anyone voting for this coalition
during the coming election” by sharing this video with you:(Click HERE if you don't see the video)

* title borrowed from a youtube presentation of a very much less morbid endeavour.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Inflammation is the body's normal response to injury. While it may be a
natural defense system, it can lead to disease development if it becomes
chronic. A University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) expert says one way to
fight inflammation is with food.

"The inflammation process has one goal: to respond immediately to
detect and destroy the toxic material in damaged tissues before it can spread
throughout the body," explained Lauren Whitt, Ph.D., UAB Employee Wellness
director and adjunct professor of personal health. "The trouble with
inflammation occurs when the defense system gets out-of-control and begins to
destroy healthy tissue, causing more damage than the original issue."

Obesity has even been found to cause inflammation, and it can lead to
the development of cardiovascular and metabolic disease, according to the National
Council on Strength & Fitness. But weight loss is related to reduction
of inflammation, and Whitt says the right anti-inflammatory foods are the
answer.

"I encourage people to focus on eating whole foods and foods that
are high in fiber," Whitt said.

Whitt added that eating anti-inflammatory foods should not be viewed as
daunting.

"Eating to minimize inflammation doesn't have to be an
overwhelming task," she said. "Take baby steps by incorporating leafy
greens into a salad at lunch, or add a piece of whole fruit to your
breakfast."

In addition, Whitt said to consume more foods straight from the farm,
as well as fewer processed and fried foods. Doing so may reduce the need for
some medications.

"Americans are constantly on the lookout for a quick-fix, so when
our immune systems kick into overdrive, we would generally prefer to pop a pill
and keep moving," Whitt said. "But if we focus on our diets, we can
alleviate the need for the anti-inflammatory medications in many cases."

Radio Free Malaysia will also be operating a call in line so
that listeners can take part in the show the toll free number is 1-800-815-309
and callers will be able to leave messages and their number at any time of the
day.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Chronic
inflammation is associated with various disorders and conditions such as heart
disease, as well as cancer, dementia and autoimmune diseases.

Dwelling
on negative events can increase levels of inflammation in the body.

Researchers
at Ohio University discovered that when study participants were asked to
ruminate on a stressful incident, their levels of C-reactive protein*, a marker of tissue inflammation, rose.

The
research team led by Peggy Zoccola, an assistant professor of psychology, recruited
34 healthy young women to participate in the project. Each woman was asked to
give a speech about her candidacy for a job to two interviewers in white
laboratory coats, who listened with stone-faced expressions.

Half
of the group was asked to contemplate their performance in the public speaking
task, while the other half was asked to think about neutral images and
activities, such as sailing ships or grocery store trips.

The
researchers drew blood samples that showed that the levels of C-reactive
protein were significantly higher in the subjects who were asked to dwell on
the speech, Zoccola reported.

For
these participants, the levels of the inflammatory marker continued to rise for
at least one hour after the speech. During the same time period, the marker
returned to starting levels in the subjects who had been asked to focus on
other thoughts.

###

The
above story is based on the March 13, 2013 news release by Ohio University.

C-reactive protein is primarily
produced by the liver as part of the immune system's initial inflammatory
response. It rises in response to traumas, injuries or infections in the body.

C-reative
protein is widely used as a clinical marker to determine if a patient has an
infection, but also if he or she may be at risk for disease later in life.

###

Mindfulness Reduces Stress, Promotes Resilience

Click HERE for 112 minutes youtube presentation on the
healing powers of mindfulness by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Mindfulness is a state of active, open
attention on the present. When you're mindful, you observe your thoughts and
feelings from a distance, without judging them good or bad. Instead of letting
your life pass you by, mindfulness means living in the moment and awakening to
experience.

Jon Kabat-Zinn (1944) is Professor of Medicine
Emeritus and founding director of the Stress Reduction Clinic and the Centerfor Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Societyat the University of Massachusetts
Medical School. His practice of
yoga and studies with Buddhist teachers led him to integrate their teachings
with those of Western science. He teaches mindfulness meditation as a technique
to help people cope with stress, anxiety, pain and illness.

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